Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Here's some information about the gallery I recently mentioned, the one that my friend and I are opening in Beacon. More specifically, we have rented the storefront, created studios in the back, and, in addition to occasionally installing shows, are making the gallery available for monthly rental for such purposes as detailed below:

CATALYST GALLERY

An artist-run rental gallery space at 137 Main St in Beacon, NY.

A catalyst is..

Something that accelerates a reaction and causes activity between two or more persons or forces, without itself being affected. The space will be continually used and transformed to fulfill various needs, and by doing so will create new opportunities for communication and creativity. Essentially unchanged, yet always different.

A person or thing that precipitates an event or change; a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy inspires and motivates others.

In this spirit, we prepared the space and developed ideas of how it could be used, and who might be interested in making something happen here: for their own work, for the community, for experience, for fun, for a living, for art. For our part, we plan to do the same.

This well-located storefront is ideal for art exhibitions, installations, curated projects, creating a short-term showroom for craft or design, or similar uses.

It is designed to create an opportunity for individual artists or groups to show and sell work in a vibrant community that supports the arts.

We can also provide a venue to galleries and curators seeking additional or alternative exhibition space.

Rental is generally on a monthly basis with longer or shorter terms considered.

The telephone booth will often be on view and will feature changing art installations.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

This is the 11"x14" drawing that was in last night's silent auction. I was hoping it would drive up the price. Har! It was based on a photograph I took a while ago when I got lost driving around somewhere and came upon a junkyard full of old taxicabs and police cars and other vehicles. The lovely person who bought the drawing asked if I knew when it was from. I'm guessing late '40s or early '50s. The rate was 25 cents for the first 1/5 mile.
I was pleased that the additional three pieces I placed in the Big Draw also sold. I ought to do works on paper more often. I sometimes make and put aside drawings and partial collages or unfinished paint-on-paper bits. Then I rediscover them and am surprised by the ideas they generate. This cab drawing is in itself a fully-rendered, graphite-on-paper object that reminds me how satisfying such a practice can be.

Friday, January 25, 2013

The three 6"x8" works that I put in the Big Draw a couple of weeks ago were sold the first day, so I am contributing three more for the Big Draw actual party tomorrow evening in hopes of similar results:

All right, this Keeps Aluminum Brilliant is a watercolor from several years ago, I'll admit, but I never actually showed it. The woman can see her face in the gleaming pan!

Details of the event: Sat Jan 26, 7-10 pm, upstairs at Hudson Beach Glass- 162 Main St, Beacon. It's a benefit, so $15 to get in. "Copious adult beverages" (says my invite), snacks, a photo booth where hilarity is sure to ensue, 6"x8" artworks to buy for $50 a pop (not 5 cents, alas) and a silent auction of two 11"x14" drawings, one of which is by me- which I will post tomorrow.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Here's the news: my friend Jon and I are opening a gallery in Beacon! And the phone booth has found a home within it. So really, two galleries, though one is a good deal smaller! That's what I've been busy with, in the past week- helping to put up a wall, painting, and starting to work out the details of this endeavor. The wall divides the gallery, in front, from the studio space in the back. I will continue to post more info about it. Again, I've waited til the end of another long day. But I just took these photos and thought I'd share; there is still much to do, but much of the physical work- building the wall, painting- is done!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Look who was chilling out in my phone booth last week. He's gone now; it got warm out. That's life.

I guess it's not the first time a phone booth has functioned as a place for change (spare change?) and transformation.

On the subject of cool things, there are definitely some new and potentially interesting plans in the works, which I'll write about.. soon. Still figuring it out. Let's say for now I'm, in a sense, building a wall... and breaking down another.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

These three are my contributions to The Big Draw, the winter fundraiser for Beacon Open Studios in April. That is why they're all 6"x8" on paper. I was aware they were all 'drinks' of a sort, but for some reason didn't immediately notice they all contained the word 'delicious'.

There are over 200 works on display starting this Sat Jan 12 through the 26th at Hudson Beach Glass, 162 Main St. in Beacon. All works are only $50 each, so it's a good way to acquire affordable art and support our annual open studios. On Jan 26th 7-10pm there's a party: music, food, open bar, live drawing rally and silent auction.

The Ginger-Mint Julep watercolor is from New Orleans, of a building's fading painted wall.

I have previously made acrylic paintings on canvas of both Coffee Cream Bottle and Cocomalt. I like making several versions of the same objects, in different media, like sketching a model in the same pose- the particularity of a typeface like the familiar curve of a hip.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

So we are well into the new year. I swigged, schmoozed, stacked, sledded and scribbled. I sketched a little and snacked a lot. I slept and I sniffled. Today a friend and I hiked up Mount Beacon, which I had not done in nearly two years, to my mild embarrassment (it is, after all, right here, and a good hike in every season), and I'd never climbed it in the snow. We slipped and slid but it was great fun and a beautiful mild winter day.

Atop Mt Beacon, or close enough to the top, anyway.

Hey, how's it going? Happy new year.

Little snowman, big rock.

Snow lady. I claim no credit for these sculptures; my friend made them. I love the dried flowers and bits.

View of Beacon. There is nothing like seeing, from a great height, the buildings among which you walk, the streets you drive, and the river you cross. How small you must be!

I love winter light. Ten years ago I painted a picture of trees. Maybe it is time to do some more.